Shloka 74

Devanagari script

वृषादर्भिप्रयुक्ता तु कृत्या विकृतदर्शना । यातुधानीति विख्याता पदूमिनीं तामरक्षत,राजा वृषादर्भिकी भेजी हुई भयानक आकारवाली यातुधानी कृत्या उस तालाबकी रक्षा कर रही थी

Transliteration

vṛṣādarbhiprayuktā tu kṛtyā vikṛtadarśanā | yātudhānīti vikhyātā padūminīṃ tām arakṣata |

Translation

بادشاہ وِرشادَربھی کے بھجوائے ہوئے، ہیبت ناک صورت والی اور ‘یاتُدھانی’ کے نام سے مشہور وہ کِرتیا اس پدمِنی (کنولوں کے تالاب) کی نگہبانی کر رہی تھی۔

Word by Word

वृषादर्भि-प्रयुक्ताemployed/commissioned by Vṛṣādarbhī

तुbut/indeed

कृत्याa magical creation; witchcraft-entity

विकृत-दर्शनाof dreadful/monstrous appearance

यातुधानीa female demon/witch

इतिthus (quotative)

विख्याताknown/called

पदूमिनीम्the lotus-pond (Padūminī)

ताम्that (her/it)

अरक्षत्protected/guarded

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Vṛṣādarbhī

kṛtyā

yātudhānī

Padūminī (lotus-pond)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical warning: harmful, coercive powers (kṛtyā/yātudhānī) may be used to guard or control resources, but such protection is rooted in adharma—fear and injury—rather than righteous guardianship. It invites discernment between legitimate protection and violent obstruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a terrifying magical entity (kṛtyā), sent by Vṛṣādarbhī and known as a yātudhānī, stationed as a guard over a lotus-pond called Padūminī, preventing or threatening those who might approach it.